Motivation (general definition)
Motivation is the inner drive impelling the person to pursue certain objectives and not others, making certain choices and not others. It is characterized by one or more goals or objectives, the effort made to achieve them and persistence over time. It is a key pillar of competence.
The definitions you find in the glossary claim to be neither exhaustive nor rigorous: they are reported here to help people who want to know more about the meaning of specific terms or topics.